Plymouth’s new amphitheatre is on track for a summer opening, enhancing the city’s cultural scene
Plymouth: The new amphitheatre in the city center is really taking shape. It’s part of a big £30 million project to revamp Armada Way, and it should be ready by summer.
Construction kicked off last autumn with Morgan Sindall Group leading the charge. They’ve been busy moving earth and getting things set up right outside the Copthorne Hotel. You can even see seating being installed now!
The whole idea is to bring more culture and arts into the heart of the city. This amphitheatre will be the second performance space created in the area, alongside the event space at the Piazza. Plus, there’s another big performance area at Old Town Square, which has already hosted a giant blue Christmas tree and some live music.
Plymouth City Centre Company is really excited about this new space. They see it as a way to make the city center busier and more vibrant. They mentioned that the old fountain by the Copthorne has been cleared out, and work on the amphitheatre is officially underway. It’s going to be a great spot for everything from busking to full-on theatrical shows.
They’re aiming to make the city center a lively and welcoming place, perfect for living, working, visiting, or studying. The first phase of the project is expected to wrap up by next summer.
Construction started after a legal challenge from a group called Save the Trees of Armada Way was dismissed. They were concerned about the council cutting down 110 trees earlier this year. Now, an independent review of the council’s decision is in progress.
The original plan was scrapped by the new Labour administration, and a new budget of nearly £30 million was approved for the project. Recently, the council announced that a temporary road will be built down the middle of Armada Way to help with the next phase of construction.
They’ll be removing some old raised beds and leveling the surface, which might get a bit noisy and messy at first. But they promise the temporary road will be far from shops and separated from the public for safety.
To keep things tidy, trucks and machinery will be cleaned off before leaving the site. Work hours will be from 7 am to 6 pm, so they’re trying to keep disruptions to a minimum.
